Richey was a mainstay of the Nashville country music community since the 1960s through his songwriting and record production. In the 1970s, he wrote several major hits for future wife Wynette and Wynette’s then-husband, George Jones, including Jones’ “A Picture of Me (Without You)” and “The Grand Tour,” and Wynette’s “‘Til I Can Make It On My Own” and “You and Me.” Richey served as Wynette’s manager during the 1980s.[1]

Richey died on July 31, 2010 following a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His death came without publicity and there was no public memorial, per his request. He was buried in Nashville near the grave of his third wife, Wynette.[2]

Later he established his own company, Shiley Laboratories, in the same area. His first valve was developed together with the American heart-surgeon Kay, and became the first disc heart-valve. Compared with the Edwards valve, which had the shape of a little ball, the advantage of the disc valve was to need much less space within the heart once implanted.

Some years later, Shiley improved his design in cooperation with the Swedish heart-surgeon Viking Björk, which led to the first tilting disc heart-valve, resulting in a much better flow of blood when passing the valve.

Other products were added to the manufacturing program of Shiley, especially tracheal and endotracheal tubes for respiration after surgery in the mouth or throat, and during anesthesia.

The Björk–Shiley heart-valve underwent in the following years several improvements, which consisted primarily in the degree of opening of the disc, thus reducing turbulence in the blood stream.

Shiley lost his first wife, Pat, when she was middle-aged. She, having been a very active woman, had helped Shiley to stay enthusiastic about his work and his company, and was a great loss to him. Some years later, Shiley decided to sell his company to Pfizer, and retired.

On March 19, 2007, the University of Portland announced a $12 million grant from Shiley and his second wife, Darlene. The grant was for renovating the University’s School of Engineering. The grant is the largest the University has ever received.[1]

Death

Shiley died on July 31, 2010 after years of deteriorating health. He was survived by his wife, Darlene, and four children and five grandchildren

Did you know that Vitiligo or leukoderma is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment which produces white patches?

The precise cause of vitiligo is complex and not fully understood. There is some evidence suggesting it is caused by a combination of auto-immune, genetic, and environmental factors. The population incidence worldwide is considered to be between 1% and 2%.

Did you know that Vitiligo affects one or two of every 100 people.?
About half the people who develop it do so before the age of 20; about one – fifth have a family member with this condition. It may be an autoimmune process (the body makes antibodies to its own pigment cells). Most people with vitiligo are in good general health, although vitiligo may occur with other autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease.

With vitiligo you develop patches of de-pigmented skin appearing on extremities before their 20s. The patches may grow, shrink, or remain constant in size. Patches often occur symmetrically across both sides on the body. Occasionally small areas may repigment as they are recolonised by melanocytes. The location of vitiligo affected skin changes over time, with some patches re-pigmenting and others becoming affected.

Vitiligo may also be caused by stress that affects the immune system, leading the body to react and start eliminating skin pigment.

Vitiligo on the scalp may affect the color of the hair (though not always), leaving white patches or streaks. It will similarly affect facial and body hair.

• white patches on the skin, including the face, limbs, torso, and groin
• purple or golden brown patches on mucous membranes and around the eyes, nostrils, and mouth
• uveitis
• premature graying of hair

Typical vitiligo shows areas of milky-white skin. However, the degree of pigment loss can vary within each vitiligo patch. There may be different shades of pigment in a patch, or a border of darker skin may circle an area of light skin.

Vitiligo often begins with a rapid loss of pigment. This may continue until, for unknown reasons, the process stops. Cycles of pigment loss, followed by times where the pigment doesn’t change, may continue indefinitely.
It is rare for skin pigment in vitiligo patients to return on its own. Some people who believe they no longer have vitiligo actually have lost all their pigment and no longer have patches of contrasting skin color. Although their skin is all one color, they still have vitiligo.
The course and severity of pigment loss differ with each person. Light-skinned people usually notice the contrast between areas of vitiligo and suntanned skin in the summer. Year round, vitiligo is more obvious on people with darker skin. Individuals with severe cases can lose pigment all over the body. There is no way to predict how much pigment an individual will lose.

Did you know that Vitiligo can have a significant effect on the psychological well being of the patient? This is especially true for darker skinned patients as the contrast between pigmented and depigmented skin can be quite drastic.

In some cultures there is a stigma attached to having vitiligo. Those affected with the condition are sometimes thought to be evil or diseased and are sometimes shunned by others in the community. People with vitiligo may feel depressed because of this stigma or because their appearance has changed dramatically. Other people with vitiligo experience no negative psychological effects at all.

There are a number of ways to alter the appearance of vitiligo without addressing its underlying cause. In mild cases, vitiligo patches can be hidden with makeup or other cosmetic camouflage solutions. If the affected person is pale-skinned, the patches can be made less visible by avoiding sunlight and the sun tanning of unaffected skin. However, exposure to sunlight may also cause the melanocytes to regenerate to allow the pigmentation to come back to its original color.

Did you know a traditional treatment given by most dermatologists is corticosteroid cream?

Phototherapy may also be beneficial. Using exposure to long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) light from the sun or from UVA, together with Psoralen, called “PUVA”, Or with UVB Narrowband lamps (without Psoralen), can help in many cases. Psoralen can be taken in a pill 1-2 hours before the exposure or as a Psoralen soaking of the area 1/2 hour before the exposure. Lately, PUVA is being more and more replaced with exposure UVB Narrowband light at a wavelength of 311-313 nanometers. This treatment does not involve Psoralen since the effect of the lamp is strong enough. The source for the UVB Narrowband UVB light can be special fluorescent lamps that treat large areas in a few minutes, or high power fiber-optic devices in a fraction of a second.

Did you know that their are Support groups and organizations are available to help people learn more about vitiligo?